


It Started With a Spark

by Ultimatefan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Singer!Belle, TalentScout!Gold
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-22 22:33:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8303671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultimatefan/pseuds/Ultimatefan
Summary: The 'Golden Talents Agency' is bought out by a rich business owner in order to be saved from possible bankruptcy. The previous owner, and now simply manager, of the agency, Mr. Rumsley Gold, feels that the company he worked so hard to create is effectively stolen from him when the new owner's son takes over the business without Gold's permission and turns everything on its head. Enraged and determined to take his company back, buyout or not, he journeys to New York to seek out someone he believes has the 'spark' he's always looked for in talented people, and is pleasantly surprised when he finds it in one of the last places he'd thought it would be...





	

**Author's Note:**

> SO OUAT SEASON 6 EPISODE 4, RIGHT?!?!?! AHAHAHAHAHAHA-  
> *facedesk*
> 
> MY DREAMS ARE DEAD, SO HERE'S A FIC THING I WASN'T GONNA OFFICIALLY RELEASE THE FIRST CHAPTER OF UNTIL A BIT LATER WHEN I HAD MORE CHAPTERS WRITTEN, BUT FUCK IT CAUSE OH GOD MY SHIPPER HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS YOU GUYS.
> 
> GONNA GO GET RIDICULOUSLY DRUNK NOW PROBABLY, BRB

           It was a dark night, with people rushing around everywhere, lights blaring, car horns honking at other cars and pedestrians alike, but, really, what else would one expect on a Friday night in New York City? Mr. Rumsley Gold knew he couldn’t complain much about his surroundings since _he_ was the one who insisted (to himself anyways) that he could track down an incredibly talented rising star in this busy city with no problems whatsoever. As it turned out, there was a _very_ high chance he could have a problem. With the rise of _America’s Got Talent_ , _American Idol_ and all that rigged, overblown nonsense he couldn’t stand, there were _far_ less people seeking out talent agencies like the one he owned nowadays… Or, at least, the one he _used_ to own. Not even three years ago, he received the single phone call that he knew would change his life forever.  
  
            The ‘Golden Talents Agency’ hadn’t been bringing in a whole lot of revenue lately. The man he spoke with claimed he had heard of Gold’s talent agency primarily through word of mouth, and was very interested in buying out the company and making it significantly larger in the future. He claimed that someday they would outshine all other talent agencies that still existed, and they’d even put _American Idol_ to shame. Gold did fight back in a way, claiming that he and the talent scouts he hired were some of the best in the business, and they were doing fine on their own.

 

            His words were no lie. They _were_ some of the best in the business and brought in quite a lot of revenue when they truly hit the jackpot; however, that was becoming a rarity as of late. Mr. Gold had begun getting pickier with whom he took on as clients, or whom he sought out to take under his wing, and was instructing the other talent scouts in his company to do the same. He didn’t want just _anybody_ ; he wanted people who had a _spark_ to them. Anyone who knew Rumsley Gold knew he had, for lack of a better term, _talent_ for seeking out rising stars. His employees sought out people who did end up making names for themselves, but the ones Gold picked rose all the way to the top, and sometimes even _beyond_ the top in a way.  
  
            One of the biggest successes Gold had plucked up from nothing was Ms. Regina Mills, who had a rather rough singing voice, but in a surprisingly _good_ way. She had sought out talent agencies in the past, but had been told time and time again that the music industry would eat her alive and she wouldn’t make it very far even if someone _did_ sponsor her. True, her voice was not necessarily ‘pretty’, but it still had an appeal that could suck listeners in and have them practically bowing at her feet as if she had cast a spell on all her listeners, including Gold himself. He resented the fact that she’d been turned down by so many people, but at the same time, he was rather grateful for their stupidity, since he could then show them _exactly_ what the hell they had all missed out on. Regina was one of the best investments he had ever made, as she went on to become a _huge_ success on the west coast as the lead singer in a band called _The Poison Apple_.  
  
            Everything had changed, though, once Zelena Mills had entered the picture. Zelena had a rather average singing voice, but was thoroughly convinced she was to be the next _Madonna_ , and, even more so, utterly surpass her sister in the music industry. He turned her down, not because she _didn’t_ have talent, but because she didn’t carry the _spark_ that he typically looked for in _his_ clients. On top of that, she, in all honesty, was beginning to creep him out. He had thought her determination to be a success was quite admirable at first, but then her poor attempts at seduction in the workplace began. It took practically no effort to have a restraining order filed against her, but Hell hath no fury on a woman scorned.

 

            In her rage, Zelena, in turn, filed a full-on lawsuit against him for harassment. Even Gold himself could clearly see that it was a farce entirely devised to get back at him, but, unfortunately, the court disagreed. He had found out later that the Zelena had slept with the judge, and most likely rigged the entire trial, but it was too late. In the end, in order to prevent going to _jail,_ of all things, he had paid her easily almost a million dollars as a settlement for a crime he didn’t commit. It had all but ruined him and his company, and he was incredibly lucky that he did not have to shut down the business he had worked so hard to create from the ground up.  
  
            Gold had nearly hung up on the man who wanted to buy his business out of sheer pride and stubbornness, but at that point, he had more than himself to worry about. His son Neil had gotten married not long ago, and they already had a child on the way. Neil was a stubborn young man, and had told his father that he and his wife could take care of themselves, and that he didn’t need any help, even when it came to raising their child, and saving for its future. Gold knew that his brilliant son could be entirely right in his judgment; however, the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Gold knew that if his talent agency went bankrupt and shut down, he’d be ruined. He also knew that his son loved him enough that he’d let his father stay with them in New York and help him get back on his feet, but Gold couldn’t bear to burden them with that kind of financial weight. Thus, Gold reluctantly agreed to the buyout, and the deal was struck.  
  
            It had seemed like a decent deal at first, with the new owner keeping the original name of the agency in tact, and letting them run the business more-or-less as usual, but then everything got flipped on its head when the new owner’s _son_ entered the picture. The young and handsome Killian Jones all but stole Gold’s position out from underneath him, including changing the name to _Hooked_ , hired a bunch of new talent scouts without Gold’s permission or approval, and turning the company’s image into something that made Gold’s stomach churn just thinking about it. Gold had _immediately_ called the new owner, demanding an explanation for these changes he’d had no say in, only to be told that (supposedly) the company felt Jones had a ‘unique and futuristic’ vision of the direction the company should go, thus, they let him take the helm and do what he wanted.  
  
            From that point on, Gold had very reluctantly played by their rules. He primarily stayed there for the income, since he felt he’d be doomed if he tried to reenter the workforce at his age, but also because he had a plan. Back when the company was entirely his, _he_ alone made the company more money than the entire staff put together with the new stars he would take under his wing. If he could find just one more person with the _spark_ that he knew brought massive success for both parties alike, even if he had to pay _Hooked_ a percentage or some kind of ‘cut’, he could very easily quit _Hooked_ , rebuild his talent agency, and regain the life he’d worked so hard to create for himself and his son. Hell, he knew that some of the employees who now worked under _Hooked_ instead of under _Golden Talents_ would also quit and follow him at the drop of a hat, and it would only serve him well.  
  
            This is what found him in New York now, besides the opportunity to visit Neil, his wife, and their very young son Henry. Gold was absolutely determined to find someone special and prove that he knew what the hell he was doing, and one did _not_ damn near ruin his life and get away with it scot-free.  
  
            On this Friday night though, he was plumb tuckered out. He’d been all over the place today interviewing multiple people, only to no avail. He thanked his lucky stars he had been miraculously given about a week in New York rather than the couple of days he was initially given to try to scout someone, or else he’d be in an _especially_ bad place right about now. He tiredly walked down the sidewalk, looking for a place to relax for a moment before going back to his hotel. He had been given a _gorgeous_ master suite to stay in seeing that he was still one of the best employees (despite the issues he had in the past) in the agency, but finding a cozy bar to sit and nurse a scotch at was a weird sort of creature comfort to him, which he’d loved ever since his early days of being a talent scout. Life always threw plenty of twists and turns, for better or for worse, but he knew that some things would never change.  
  
            As he continued to walk, he headed in the direction of a bar he had favored many years ago, which served some of the best scotch he’d ever tasted. It was one of those places that was a tiny hidden gem among the hundreds of other places one could go for a drink, almost eerily similar in concept to the types of people Gold would recruit and _highly_ profit off of. He was _incredibly_ disappointed when he approached the building; however, to find that the establishment now bore an entirely different look altogether. It looked like it had aged drastically, but thankfully, whomever owned the building now (if it wasn’t the same original owner anyway) thankfully put that to good use, making it appear as if it were a historical landmark that should never be torn down, rather than a little hole-in-the-wall bar. Speaking of which, judging by the building’s new name, it appeared that this place was _still_ a bar, for which he was thankful. Curiosity got the better of him, and he found himself walking in the front door to see what else had possibly changed.  
  
            To his great surprise, actually not a whole lot had changed on the inside. In fact, it looked like it had been _greatly_ refurbished. A lot of the booths, tables and chairs remained the same as he remembered, but they were all fixed up and looked better than he’d ever seen them. Curiously, whoever decided to fix this place up made the interior look like something cooked up in the Prohibition era; something that was supposed to be placed underneath a hotel or a fancier establishment as a getaway for the people who couldn’t stand the law that had been placed upon them.

 

            The only thing that stuck out (a bit like a sore thumb in Gold’s opinion), was a stage towards the back of the room. It wasn’t _large_ , per say, but it could definitely house a live band. On top of that, the middle extended outward into a bit of a ‘runway’ of sorts. The runway also wasn’t particularly large, but Gold couldn’t help but wonder what kinds of acts this bar hosted. The customer base only confused him more, with a lot of them wearing fancier clothing than he’d expect, and some going as far as wearing _suits_. Hell, some of them even surpassed the suit _he_ was wearing. In fact, now that he looked around even closer, there was not a single woman in sight. True, he was pleased with how his favorite bar had been renovated cosmetically, but the overall atmosphere the customers were creating left him rather… _creeped out_.   
  
            He slowly headed to an empty bar stool, propping himself up and ordering a scotch. The bartender was incredibly quick, having his drink over to him in practically no time at all. Gold took a slightly nervous sip, only to be _very_ pleased with what he tasted. Turned out that they still served the scotch he so fondly remembered, and that made him happy as a clam. He felt like he could practically melt into the chair as his muscles finally relaxed, and he could finally turn his constantly churning brain off for a moment. He had downed one round of scotch, and was beginning a second round when he heard the unmistakable sound of a microphone being tapped. Gold heard a man’s voice coming from speakers overhead, claiming that their ‘Friday show’ was about to begin, and that the bar’s ‘new favorite’ was making an appearance again tonight. Before Gold could even _begin_ to wonder what the hell they could be talking about, the same man presented ‘t _he lovely Lacey_ ’ to the stage, with a couple of younger men practically _racing_ to runway attached to the stage, peaking Gold’s curiosity.  
  
            The bar’s lighting grew dimmer after the announcement, with a single spotlight illuminating the closed curtains of the stage. The sounds of slightly soft jazz music began playing from behind the curtain. Some drums and cymbals created a nice beat for a moment, allowing a piano to join in the fun not a moment too soon. It had taken him a second, but he found himself possibly recognizing what song this band was about to play, believing that this was an _excellent_ accompaniment to the overall look his favorite bar now had. He had a feeling he knew what was about to happen, but _nothing_ could’ve prepared him for what, or more appropriately, _whom_ was revealed on that stage.

 

            The curtain moved away from the center, revealing one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen in his life. He felt his jaw quite literally drop open, much to his embarrassment, but thankfully no one noticed. Why would they notice, anyway, when an honest-to-God _angel_ had entered the room and taken center stage?   
  
            She wore a _very_ short, sleeveless, gold colored cocktail dress that revealed gorgeous ivory legs that seemed to go on for _miles_ until they reached her barely covered feet. The high heels she wore were a bunch of thin, golden straps that crossed over one another and practically sparkled in the light. However, even the practically sparkling shoes couldn’t hold a candle to her _eyes_. Long, auburn curls framed a face that he felt was created entirely to be a place for the clearest, biggest, bluest eyes in existence to be witnessed by some incredibly lucky people. He also can’t help but notice that when she moves her microphone up to her mouth, there’s a corsage on her wrist that bears a single, beautiful red rose that happens to look just as red as her incredibly kissable painted lips. There was no doubt in his mind that _this_ was the ‘Lacey’ the announcer had talked about with so much pride.

 

            As he gazed upon her with wonder, the gears in his head began to turn. The woman on stage _was_ gorgeous, but he had seen _many_ pretty women in his life that had all tried to boost just their sex appeal alone as their ‘talent’, and he suddenly hoped and prayed that this one would be different than that. He had seen too many women with very good looks be horribly used when putting their faith and trust in the wrong people, and practically be left for dead if their looks wavered even the slightest bit. They always reminded him that he remained in the business he was in because he couldn’t stand seeing people who could go _so_ much farther than they ever thought possible be left unrecognized, with their talents going to waste while they worked in some other industry just to pay bills and get by in life. Just as he was unprepared for the beauty that graced the stage, he was equally unprepared, if not more so than before, for the moment she opened her mouth and began to _sing_ …  
  
            _Never know how much I love you_ __  
Never know how much I care  
            When you put your arms around me  
            I get a fever that's so hard to bear 

            Gold _so_ desperately wanted to roll his eyes when wild wolf whistles began emitting from the men surrounding the stage as she sang and began to slowly walk towards the runway, but soon enough, practically everything around him melted away until there was only him and the gorgeous Lacey on stage.  
  
            _You give me fever, when you kiss me_  
            Fever when you hold me tight  
            Fever, in the the morning  
            Fever all through the night

 

            This was yet another voice that was not conventionally ‘pretty’, eerily similar to how he had first analyzed Regina’s singing voice, but this was a bit _different_ somehow. In his ears, her voice was _phenomenal_ , between the lilt in her voice that occasionally escaped her lips, the incredibly sexy, almost breathy quality in some of the lyrics, and the surprising amount of _power_ it carried despite the voice’s owner being rather small in stature.  
  
            _Sun lights up the daytime_  
            The moon lights up the night  
            I light up when you call my name  
            And you know I'm gonna treat you right  
  
            His scotch forgotten, he could feel himself standing up from where he sat in order to fully face the woman singing on stage. As he watched her, practically all physical feeling left his body until all that remained was the sound of her voice flowing sensuously through his ears, and his eyes that were blessed enough to visually take it all in. Even more so, he somehow seemed to be getting closer and closer to where she stood on the stage, almost as if she had a magnetic pull that he couldn’t resist.

 

            _Everybody's got the fever_ _  
That is something you all know  
            Fever isn't such a new thing  
            Fever started long ago…_  
  
            As he gazed upon Lacey’s lovely form, he began to notice little nuances that he was certain the other men were too stupid to notice over their clear obsession with her body as a whole and nothing else. There were times when her hips swayed invitingly, whether she was standing in place or taking steps forward, (and sometimes back) but he felt only _he_ noticed the little _pop_ -like motion that would happen with every sway. As her song continued, a small smile that had already existed on her face only grew larger over time, making her light up more than she already was. He delighted in getting to look into her eyes more, and he noticed that an almost glassy look started to inhabit them over practically no time at all. If he was reading her gaze correctly, this could only lead to _incredibly_ good things.  
  
            The subtlest nuance of all happened in about the middle of the song, that _truly_ only someone musically trained would’ve noticed. Her voice started becoming almost even _more_ passionate, and not just because of the slight change in key. He saw her eyes close as her head tilted upward toward the ceiling. A slight flush colored her face, not extending much past the bridge of her nose and just underneath her closed eyes, and her smile widened a bit as her hips began to sway once more, and she began almost _dancing_ a bit, moving in a way that he could tell was not normally part of her routine.  
  
            That’s when he felt _the spark_. The ‘spark’ of _letting go_.  
  
            There were _so_ many trained artists who fell into a sort of ‘rhythm’ with their performances, having been given the wrong advice on what kind of direction to take their acts. The biggest flaw Gold saw in this, was that these people would become one trick ponies, able to satisfy only one type of crowd, and one alone, with their popularity and fame fading away not long after it began. Only the ones who were brave enough to _let go_ , to _have fun_ , to get _so_ into what they were doing that they forget the world around them, were the ones that would succeed. Granted, Lacey’s body language made this a bit obvious to those who were _truly_ paying attention (which was most likely no one except _him_ ), but he felt it nonetheless, and was absolutely blown away. Then, what felt like all too soon, he could tell her song was ending based off the lyrics she was singing, but she was clearly not out of surprises just yet.   
  
            _Now you've listened to my story_ _  
Here's the point I have made  
            Chicks were born to give you fever  
            Be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade_  
  
            By the time she was arriving at the final verse, she was less than a foot away from where he was standing. On top of that, she reached for the beautiful rose corsage she wore, slipping it off her wrist, then holding it loosely in front of him as her hips swayed and she continued to sing.  
  
            _They give you fever, when you kiss ‘em_ _  
Fever if you live and learn  
            Fever, till you sizzle_  
  
            In an even _more_ stunning turn of events, their eyes met for the first time, with hers reflecting an entirely different kind of ‘ _spark_ ’ as she looked him over, then slowly bent over at the waist until he got a _very_ nice eyeful of her cleavage, and her flowing hair tickled his face, while she sensuously tucked the corsage into the front lapel of the suit he wore and leaned more toward his ear, causing a delightful shiver to run down his spine.  
  
            _What a lovely way to burn…_  
  
            All too soon, she stood upright and began walking towards the band on stage while singing the very last line of the verse over and over, as was custom for this song, with her hips swaying sensuously all the while. Some of the men began cheering and clapping wildly before she even stopped singing, and were still doing so long after the curtain had closed, and the band stopped playing their instruments.  
  
            Gold suddenly came back to himself, with his surroundings finally becoming visible once more in full color. He even released a breath he’d apparently been holding for who knows how long. He shook his head a little trying to get his bearings, discovering that he’d somehow walked all the way to the front of the runway without even realizing it, much to the annoyance of some of the men around him. Judging by the jealous, angry scowls some of them were throwing his way, he was actually rather shocked that they hadn’t just shoved him out of their way, especially given that they appeared _much_ stronger than Gold was.  
  
            He couldn’t find it in him to care much, though, since his head was still full of the smell of the rose corsage Lacey tucked into his lapel, the perfume she wore, and something that couldn’t be anything else but _her_.  
  
            True, the divine Lacey was an absolute _knockout_ when it came to her looks, but most important of all, he’d felt the _spark_.  
  
            He’d found his new rising star.

**Author's Note:**

> The song 'Lacey' sings in this chapter is called "Fever", with the original version being sung by (i believe) Peggy Lee, but the version I drew inspiration from was a cover sung by A Fine Frenzy. I like to think that Lacey's singing voice is a combination of Emilie de Ravin's speaking voice, and the singing voice in this cover of this song, and that the tempo/speed Lacey sings it at also matches the cover.
> 
> Check it out on YouTube!! :D  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsObnzivL1A
> 
> In other news, only HOURS after I wrote this chapter do I realize that my brain somehow (sort of) subconsciously channeled that scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit that first reveals Jessica Rabbit, effectively saying that my brain is now managing to compare BELLE/LACEY FROM OUAT AND JESSICA RABBIT, WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING RIGHT NOW *falls over*


End file.
